Pipe connection.



PATENTED APR. 16, 1907. J. M. KIEHLE. PIPE GONNEGTION. APPLIOATIOK mumour a1 ma 98); than;

U1 'IlTED STATES PATENT,;()F IGE.

JAiiEs M. KIEHLE, or COUDERSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRDTO ALBERT A. MULKIN AND ONE-THIRD TO W. H. RICHARDS,

COUDERSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIPE CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 31, 1905. Serial No. 285,333-

Patented April 16, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. KIEHLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Coudersport, in the county of Potter and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PipeConnections, of which the following is a specification.

In tapping pipe-lines, particularly such as are used for conveyinnatural gas, to connect a branch or latera therewith a fitting or bconnection, designated as a saddle, is used, j the'same bemg clipped tothe main line and the branch cou led to the saddle. A tight joint isobtaine between the saddle and the main pi e to prevent leaka e by theinterposition o a washer or suitab e packing, either of metal, leather,rubber, or other suitable This packing is frequentl blowneriou'sinc'onvenience;

The purpose'o'f the present invention is to prevent displacement orblowing out of the p'acl'ring','jand to this end the hollow or seating"g ofuthe saddle is formed with concentric nfinin -ribs to encircle orotherwise engage withian prevent displacement of the pee Fo'r afulldescription of the invention and he merits thereof and also to acquire aknowlge of the details of construction of the means for effecting theresult reference is to be had to the following descri tion and ac- "5 isa longitudinal section of the packing."

company'ing drawings, in whic Figure 1 1s a perspective view of thesaddle inverted, the packing being omitted. 2 1g.

3 is a sectional detail of the saddle and packing, showing the relationof the parts reliminary to the" application-of force for c amping thesaddle to the pipe. Fi 4 is a view s1milar to Fig. 3, showing the reation of the parts after the saddle has been clamped and the 'ackingspread and conformed to the space lietween the confining-ribs, saddle,and pipe. Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followindescription and indicated in all the views 0 the drawings by the "samereference characters.

The saddle fitting or connection 1 may be of ordinary construction,depending upon the size of pipe for which it is ntended and the particuar nature of the work. This saddle is adapted to be secured to the pipeby means of clips 2 or other suitable fastenings, the same pa singthrough reinforced openings provided in edge portions of the saddle. Thepipe to be coupled to the main line is fitted into the opening 3 and issecured in place either by screw-threads or in any other desired way.The inner or seating face of the saddle is made hollow or concave toconform to the periphery of the main pipe and is provided withconcentric con the purpose of which is to prevent lateral displacementof the packing'preferably in an outward direction. packing 6 is adaptedtobe secured. The outer confining-rib '4 preyents the fpacliing 6from'being blown outward when said packing is subjected to {greatinternal'pres sure.

Between these ribs a 'ng-ribs 4 and 5,

lateral expansion of the packing isflimited when sub ecting' the saddleto ressure, as.

when elam pin it t'o' the' main l ne. or'other I pipe to wh chitlis tobeattached 'Thecon-l fining-ribs constitute .a. part of thesaddle, and 3their sides slope" inoppositedirections, so

that-the space betweeri the ribs is flared, as

shown.' 1 The packing 6 may be of lead or other soft metal or may beformed of rubber, leather, A

or other suitable material. As shown in Fig. 2, the acking is curved toconform to the hollow side of the saddle and-is approxi mately of V formin cross-section. The iplialpking is of a size to comfortably fit thecon- 'ngribs,- and its V or wedge form enables the narrow edge tocome incontact with the side of the pipe to which the saddle is to be coupled.-The base of the packing is fiat to fit square against the flat portionof the saddle coming between the ribs 4 and 5. In ractice the main pipe7 after being tapped lias the packing and saddle fitted thereto, asindicated in Fig. 3, the packing projecting to some distance beyond theconfining-ribs; Upon tightening the clips or other fastening employedfor clamping the saddle to the pipe the packing 6 is compressed andexpands laterally and fills the. spaceformed between the confining-ribsand at the same time conforms to the surface of the pipe 7, therebypreventing any possible lea The ribs 4 and 5 limit the lateral ortransverse expansion of the acking and in practice prevent lateral dispacement thereof either inward or outward, the latter being of advantage,inasmuch at it prevents blowing out of the packing when subjected tohigh internal pressure.

The arrangement of the clips 2, whereby the same are located just beyonddiametrically opposite points in the circular ribs 4 and 5, isadvantageous, in that an even pressure is caused to be exerted upon thepacking 6 throughout the area of the latter. The effectiveness of thepacking is thus pro nioted to a maximum extent, and, furthermore, therigidity of attachment of the saddle to the pipe 7 is subservcd.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the invention providessimple and efl'ective means for retaining the packing of a pipe couplingor fitting in proper position against pressure from within and at thesame time limits the transverse expansion of the packing when clampingthe fitting to the pipe, thereby preventing disintegration oroverstraining thereof, which would be the case if no limit were placedupon the compression of the packing.

By forming'the concentric ribs 4 and 5 outstanding from the inner faceof the saddle it will be seen, noting particularly Fig. 4 of thedrawings, that a space 3 is produced within the circle of the inner rib5. By this arrangement and construction it is manifest that even thoughby careless handlin the tap-opening of the main pipe 7 shoul notregister exactly with the opening-3 in the saddle, and, further, shouldthe opening that is tapped in the pipe 7 chance to be larger in diameterthan the opening 3 in the saddle, yet no disadvantageous results willensue because of the space 3 within the innermost rib. Consequently thepressure of the gaslie snugly against the outer periphery of the mainpipe 7.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is' A pipeconnect-ion, comprising a saddle provided with a concave inner side tocon form to the peripheral portion of the pipe and having an openingextending therethrough centrally of said concave .portion, the concaveportion of the saddle being formed with two spaced-apart concentric ribssurrounding the opening therein and outstanding from the concavesurface, said ribs having their sides sloping in opposite directions,whereby to produce a flared space between them, a packing-ring receivedbetween said ribs and initially substantially V-shaped in cross-section,with a flat base, and clips adapted to receive the pipe therein andarranged to clamp the saddle to said pipe, so as to flatten theaching-ring to fill the space between the said outstanding ribs, theinner one of said ribs producing a space 3 leading into the opening inthe concaved portion 0 the saddle, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. KIEHLE.

l/Vitnesses F. A. FRENCH, HOWARD WHITE.

